Explore the Family Name Swan
The meaning of Swan
1. English: occupational name from Middle English swon(e), northern Middle English swan(e) ‘swineherd; peasant; male servant’ (Old English swān). Compare Swain 2, with which this name was thoroughly confused. 2. English: occasionally perhaps a nickname from Middle English swan, swon ‘swan’. In the Middle Ages, the swan was taken as a symbol of false pride, and, according to Chaucer, jealousy. Compare Kite, Nightingale, and Pye. 3. English: from the Middle English and Older Scots personal name Swan, an Anglicized form of Old Norse Sveinn. Compare Swain 1. 4. English: in addition, the name may occasionally also have been topographic or habitational, referring to a house or inn distinguished by the sign of a swan (see 2 above). Surnames derived from house and inn signs are rare in English. 5. Irish: Anglicized form of Mac Suibhne (see Sweeney), as well as an adoption of the Old Norse personal name in 3 above. 6. Swedish: variant, mostly Americanized, of Svan, an ornamental name from svan ‘swan’. Compare Swahn. 7. Americanized form of German Schwan. 8. Americanized form of Norwegian Svang: habitational name from a farm name in southeastern Norway, derived from a word meaning ‘bend, curve; narrow passage’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Swan in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Swan has slightly declined over the past decade. In 2000, it ranked as the 1,477th most common surname in the United States, falling to the 1,564th position by 2010, a decrease of 5.89%. However, the actual count of individuals with this surname increased from 22,082 in 2000 to 23,001 in 2010, a growth of 4.16%. Despite this increase in numbers, the proportion per 100,000 people decreased by 4.76% during the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,477 | #1,564 | -5.89% |
| Count | 22,082 | 23,001 | 4.16% |
| Proportion per 100k | 8.19 | 7.8 | -4.76% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Swan
When it comes to the ethnicity of those bearing the Swan surname, there have been some changes based on the Decennial U.S. Census data. The highest percentage was found within the White community, although their representation decreased slightly from 81.75% in 2000 to 79.17% in 2010. The Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander communities saw significant increases, with Hispanic representation going up by 52.83% and Asian/Pacific Islanders by 27.78%. The Black community also saw an increase of 7.40%, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native group experienced a modest growth of 1.86%. The number of individuals identifying with two or more races also grew by 35.03%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 81.75% | 79.17% | -3.16% |
| Black | 12.02% | 12.91% | 7.4% |
| Hispanic | 1.59% | 2.43% | 52.83% |
| Two or More Races | 1.77% | 2.39% | 35.03% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 2.15% | 2.19% | 1.86% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.72% | 0.92% | 27.78% |
Swan ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Swan is British & Irish, which comprises 50.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.2%) and Scandinavian (5.7%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Nigerian, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 50.2% |
| French & German | 21.2% |
| Scandinavian | 5.7% |
| Other | 22.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Swan
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Swan have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 82.70% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 82.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 82.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 82.30% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 82.30% |
What Swan haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Swan is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and R-Z159, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Morgan, James, Woods, Phillips, Carr, Jones, Lewis, Ford, Price, Morris.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Swan surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Swan have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Swan" Surname 42.6%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Swan" Surname 24.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Swan" Surname 22.6%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Swan" Surname 19.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Swan?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Swan are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition